Every Monday afternoon, we’ll run the Student Section’s Power 16 Poll. However, since there was a game that would have a significant impact the standings on Monday night, we opted to run it on Tuesday this week.
Here’s what our poll looks like at the conclusion of week 1. Please note that these rankings will fluctuate from week-to-week based on what transpires on the gridiron.
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama (5) | 95 |
| 2 | Florida State (1) | 83 |
| 3 | Houston | 78 |
| Tie | Clemson | 78 |
| 5 | Ohio State | 76 |
| 6 | Michigan | 64 |
| 7 | Stanford | 52 |
| 8 | Washington | 51 |
| 9 | Georgia | 39 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 34 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | 31 |
| 12 | Louisville | 24 |
| 13 | Texas | 21 |
| 14 | Michigan State | 20 |
| 15 | Oklahoma State | 15 |
| 16 | LSU | 8 |
| Others receiving votes: Texas A&M 7, Tennessee 7, Boise State 5, Oregon 5, Florida 4, Texas Christian 4, North Carolina 3, Notre Dame 3, Iowa 3, Ole Miss 2, Brigham Young 2, Baylor 1, Toledo 1 | ||
| Voters: Phil Harrison, Kevin Causey, Bart Doan, Yesh Ginsburg, Eli Hershkovich, Terry Johnson | ||
Notes and Observations
- Although Alabama posted an impressive victory over USC, the Crimson Tide was a not unanimous choice for the top spot. Associate Editor Terry Johnson picked Florida State as the No. 1 team based on the ‘Noles performance against Ole Miss on Monday night.
- Our panel was split on who should be No. 2 behind Alabama, with six different teams receiving second place votes.
- Houston made the highest move among ranked teams, rising nine spots in the poll after its win over Oklahoma. The Sooners dropped from 6 to 11.
- By virtue of its upset over Notre Dame, Texas ended up at No. 13 after starting the year at No. 31. The Irish fell out of the rankings after debuting at No. 7.
- Our voters chose not to punish LSU too harshly for losing a “neutral” site game against Wisconsin, moving the Tigers down to final spot on the poll. Wisconsin moved up to No. 10.
